Software Principles

At Google, we put a lot of thought into improving your online experience. We’re alarmed
by what we believe is a growing disregard for your rights as computer users. We’ve seen
increasing reports of spyware and other applications that trick you in order to serve you
pop-up ads or hijack your browser from the site you’re trying to visit.

We don't see this trend reversing itself. In fact, it's getting worse. As a provider of
services and monetization for users, advertisers and publishers on the Internet, we feel
a responsibility to be proactive about these issues. We've outlined a set of principles
we believe our industry should adopt. We aim to follow these guidelines ourselves with
the applications we distribute. And because we strongly believe these principles are good
for the industry and users worldwide, we encourage our current and prospective business
partners to adopt them as well. These guidelines are, by necessity, broad. Software
creation and distribution are complex and the technology is continuously evolving. As a
result, some useful applications may not comply entirely with these principles and some
deceptive practices may not be addressed here. This document is only a start, and focuses
on the areas of Internet software and advertising. These guidelines need to be
continually updated to keep pace with ever-changing technology.

We look forward to an ongoing discussion with you and with our partners. We'd like to
hear your suggestions to improve and update these principles. Share your feedback on
our help forum.

Principles

Installation

We believe software should not trick you into installing it. It should be clear
to you when you are installing or enabling software on your computer and you should have
the ability to say no. An application shouldn’t install itself onto your computer
secretly or by hiding within another program you’re installing or updating. You should be
conspicuously notified of the functions of all the applications in a bundle.

Upfront disclosure

When an application is installed or enabled, it should inform you of its principal
and significant functions. And if the application makes money by showing you
advertising, it should clearly and conspicuously explain this. This information should be
presented in a way that a typical user will see and understand – not buried in small
print that requires you to scroll. For example, if the application is paid for by serving
pop-up ads or sending your personal data to a third party, that should be made clear to
you.

Simple removal

It should be easy for you to figure out how to disable or delete an application.
The process should try to remove sufficient components to disable all functions of the
application, visible or not, without messing up your computer. Once an application is
disabled or deleted, it should not remain active or be automatically enabled later by
itself or another application.

Clear behavior

Applications that affect or change your user experience should make clear they are
the reason for those changes. For example, if an application opens a window, that
window should identify the application responsible for it. Applications should not
intentionally obscure themselves under multiple or confusing names. You should be given
means to control the application in a straightforward manner, such as by clicking on
visible elements generated by the application. If an application shows you ads, it should
clearly mark them as advertising and inform you that they originate from that
application. If an application makes a change designed to affect the user experience of
other applications (such as setting your home page) then those changes should be made
clear to you.

Snooping

If an application collects or transmits your personal information such as your
address, you should know. We believe you should be asked explicitly for your
permission in a manner that is obvious and clearly states what information will be
collected or transmitted. For more detail, it should be easy to find a privacy policy
that discloses how the information will be used and whether it will be shared with third
parties.

Keeping good company

Application providers should not allow their products to be bundled with applications
that do not meet these guidelines.

Many internet users find that over time their computers become loaded with unwanted
software – be it adware, spyware or just plain junk. This is because a few applications
they installed came bundled with junk, and that junk generated more junk piled higher and
deeper. We believe any situation where multiple applications are being installed should
be made very clear to users, so that if you were to ask them several months later –
“What’s this?” – most will know where it came from and why it is there.

Usually there are complex business relationships among the companies participating in a
bundle. This can result in well–intentioned companies benefiting from the distribution or
revenue generated by software that does not benefit you. Getting paid to distribute, or
paying money to be distributed with undesirable software enables more undesirable
software. Responsible software makers and advertisers can work to prevent such
distribution by avoiding these types of business relationships, even if they are through
intermediaries.

We are alarmed by the size of this problem, which we estimate to be causing hundreds of
millions of dollars to be changing hands annually. Because of this magnitude and user
impact, strong action by the industry is imperative.

We believe that it is in our users’ and the industry’s interest to work to eliminate this
problem. For this reason, we will strive to distribute our software only in bundles where
all applications meet the above guidelines, and we think users will benefit if others in
our industry do the same.

To join the fight against deceptive Internet software or for more information, please
visit https://stopbadware.org. StopBadware.org is
an independent “Neighborhood Watch” campaign aimed at fighting malicious software.
StopBadware.org seeks to provide reliable, objective information about downloadable
applications in order to help consumers make better choices about what they download on
to their computers.